Fluid treatment apparatus

ABSTRACT

A fluid treatment device includes a pipe including an inlet, an outlet, an internal space through which a fluid moves and including a light source part disposed in the internal space and providing a light to the fluid. The light source part includes at least one light source unit having a substrate and a plurality of light sources disposed on the substrate and emitting the light. A ratio of a first distance between two light sources adjacent to each other to a second distance between each light source and an inner circumferential surface of the pipe is 1:1.25 or less when viewed in a longitudinal-section.

The present application is a continuation of PCT Application No.PCT/KR2018/010064 filed Aug. 30, 2018, entitled “FLUID TREATMENTAPPARATUS” which claims priorities and the benefits of Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2017-0110576 filed on Aug. 31, 2017. The contents ofeach application noted above are incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a fluid treatment device. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure relates to a fluid treatment devicethat treats a fluid by providing a light to a fluid.

BACKGROUND ART

Fluids, such as water and air, contain a variety of germs or bacteriathat are harmful to the health of humans, and thus, fluid treatmentdevices to sterilize or remove the germs or bacteria are required.

As a method for treating the fluids, there has been a method of applyingultraviolet light to the fluids. In the case of a conventionally usedultraviolet lamp, the ultraviolet lamp not only contains mercury, whichis a heavy metal, but it also has a high energy consumption since aneffective UV output efficiency is low compared with an actual powerconsumption.

With the recent development of ultraviolet LEDs, there is a need todesign a module that is capable of efficiently treating fluids usingultraviolet LEDs is needed.

PRESENT DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

The present disclosure provides a fluid treatment device with high fluidtreatment efficiency.

Technical Solution

Embodiments of the inventive concept provide a fluid treatment deviceincluding a pipe including an inlet and an outlet and including aninternal space through which a fluid moves and a light source partdisposed in the internal space and providing a light to the fluid. Thelight source part includes at least one light source unit including asubstrate and a plurality of light sources disposed on the substrate andemitting the light. A ratio of a first distance between two lightsources adjacent to each other to a second distance from each lightsource to an inner circumferential surface of the pipe is 1:1.25 or lesswhen viewed in a longitudinal-section.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the ratio of the firstdistance between the two light sources adjacent to each other to thesecond distance from each light source to the inner circumferentialsurface of the pipe is 1:0.8 to 1:1.25.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second distance is setfrom a center of the pipe to a point where an amount of light betweenthe two light sources is equal to or greater than about 70% of an amountof light in a normal line direction of the light source when viewed inthe longitudinal-section.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second distance is setfrom the center of the pipe to a point where the amount of the lightbetween the two light sources is equal to or greater than about 80% ofthe amount of the light in the normal line direction of the light sourcewhen viewed in the longitudinal-section.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a number of the lightsource units is n, and the substrates of the light source unitsrespectively correspond to sides of a regular n-polygon when viewed in across-section. A number of the light source units is three or more. Thefirst distance is within a range from about 15 mm to about 30 mm.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when viewed in thecross-section, the pipe has a minimum radius at a point where a ratio ofan amount of light in a normal line direction of each light source unitto an amount of light on a line connecting a vertex of the regularn-polygon and a center of the regular n-polygon is about 70% or more.The minimum radius of the pipe exceeds about 10 mm.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the light sourceunits includes three light sources.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the light source unitfurther includes a protective pipe that accommodates the substrate andthe light source. The protective pipe is transparent. The light sourceunit further includes a base that encapsulates both sides of theprotective pipe.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the light source has anorientation angle from about 110 degrees to about 150 degrees.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inlet and the outletare arranged substantially in parallel to a longitudinal direction ofthe pipe.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the inletand the outlet is arranged in a direction inclined to or perpendicularto a longitudinal direction of the pipe.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inlet and the outletare arranged in a same direction when viewed in a cross-sectionperpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the pipe.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluid is a water.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the light source part emitsthe light in an ultraviolet light wavelength band. The light source partemits the light in a sterilization wavelength band.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a fluid treatment deviceincluding a pipe having an inlet, an outlet, an internal space throughwhich a fluid moves, and a light source part disposed adjacent to thepipe and providing a light to the fluid. The light source part includesat least one light source unit including a substrate and a plurality oflight sources disposed on the substrate and emitting the light. A ratioof a first distance between two light sources adjacent to each other toa second distance from each light source to an inner circumferentialsurface of the pipe is 1:1.25 or less when viewed in alongitudinal-section.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, thelight source part includes first and second light source units, whichface each other with the pipe interposed therebetween. Each of the firstand second light source units includes a substrate and a plurality oflight sources disposed on the substrate and emitting the light. A ratioof a distance between two light sources adjacent to each other in alongitudinal direction to a distance between two light sources facingeach other with the pipe interposed therebetween is 1:2.5 or less whenviewed in a longitudinal-section.

Advantageous Effects

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure the fluidtreatment device may efficiently treat a large amount of fluid uniformlyand in a short time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above and other advantages of the present disclosure will becomereadily apparent by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fluid treatment device accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line I-I′ of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a light source partaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are sectional views showing light source parts accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a fluid treatment deviceaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal-sectional view showing a fluid treatment deviceaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a fluid treatment device according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a fluid treatment device according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views showing an arrangement of a lightsource part and a pipe of fluid treatment devices according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is a view showing a light emission direction when viewed in across-sectional view.

BEST MODE FOR INVENTION

The present disclosure may be variously modified and realized in manydifferent forms, and thus specific embodiments will be exemplified inthe drawings and described in detail hereinbelow. However, the presentdisclosure should not be limited to the specific disclosed forms, and beconstrued to include all modifications, equivalents, or replacementsincluded in the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will beexplained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fluid treatment device accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 2 is across-sectional view taken along a line I-I′ of FIG. 1.

The exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to the fluidtreatment device. In an exemplary embodiment, a fluid is a targetsubstance to be treated using the fluid treatment device, and the fluidmay be water (especially flowing water) or air. In an exemplaryembodiment, treating the fluid includes, for example, sterilizing,purifying, and deodorizing the fluid using the fluid treatment device.However, in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, thetreatment of the fluid should not be limited thereto or thereby and mayinclude other measures that are capable of being carried out using thefluid treatment device described later.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the fluid treatment device according to theexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a pipe 10through which the fluid flows and a light source part 20 disposed in thepipe 10 and providing a light to the fluid.

The pipe 10 may have a rod shape extending in one direction and mayprovide an internal space 19 in which the fluid is treated. The fluidmay flow through the internal space 19. The pipe 10 may include an inlet11 through which the fluid flows into, an outlet 15 through which thetreated fluid is discharged, a main body 13 in which the fluid istreated, and a cap 17 encapsulating both sides of the main body 13.

The main body 13 may accommodate a component, for example, the lightsource part 20, which allows the fluid flowing into through the inlet 11to be treated therein. The light source part 20 is described later.

The main body 13 may have a hollow pipe shape and may have a shape inwhich both ends in a direction in which the main body 13 extends areopened. In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the mainbody 13 may have a cylindrical shape. In this case, a cross sectionintersecting a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical shape may be acircular shape. However, the shape in cross section of the main body 13should not be limited to the circular shape and may have a variety ofshapes, such as an oval shape, a polygonal shape such as a quadrangularshape, etc.

The inlet 11 may be connected to one side of the main body 13 andconnected to the internal space 19 of the main body 13. A direction inwhich the inlet 11 extends may be different from the extension directionof the main body 13. In the exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the extension direction of the inlet 11 may be inclined toor perpendicular to the extension direction of the main body 13, andthus, the fluid may move along the extension direction of the main body13 after flowing into a direction inclined or perpendicular to the mainbody 13. The fluid flowing into the main body 13 through the inlet 11 isa fluid to be treated in the main body 13, for example, a targetsubstance that is to be sterilized, purified, and deodorized.

The outlet 15 may be disposed at a position spaced apart from the inlet11 and may be connected to the main body 13. In the exemplary embodimentof the present disclosure, a direction in which the outlet 15 extendsmay be inclined to or perpendicular to the extension direction of themain body 13, and thus, the fluid may be discharged in a directioninclined to or perpendicular to the main body 13 while moving along theextension direction of the main body 13. The fluid discharged from themain body 13 through the outlet 15 is a fluid that is already treated inthe main body 13, for example, the target substance that is alreadysterilized, purified, and deodorized.

The inlet 11 and the outlet 15 may have a circular shape or an ovalshape when viewed in a cross-section, however, they should not belimited thereto or thereby. The inlet 11 and the outlet 15 may have avariety of shapes, for example, a polygonal shape. In the presentexemplary embodiment, the cross-section of the inlet 11 and the outlet15 may be a cross-section in a direction crossing the extensiondirection of the inlet 11 or a direction in which a flow path is formed.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a reflectivelayer may be disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the pipe10, particularly, an inner circumferential surface of the main body 13,to effectively reflect the light from the light source part 20 describedlater.

The reflective layer may allow the light from the light source part 20to continuously travel inside the main body 13 without leaking to theoutside. A material for the reflective layer should not be particularlylimited as long as the reflective layer reflects the light. In addition,an area where the reflective layer is disposed should not beparticularly limited as long as the light from the light source part 20reaches the area, and the reflective layer may be disposed on the entirearea or only in some areas of an inner surface of the pipe 10.

Although not shown in figures, a separate pipe may be further disposedat the inlet 11 and/or the outlet 15. The separate pipe may be connectedto the inlet 11 and the outlet 15 by a nozzle. The nozzle may be coupledwith the inlet 11 and/or outlet 15 in various ways, for example, byscrew coupling(s).

The cap 17 encapsulates both ends of the main body 13 and may bedisposed at the both ends of the main body 13. In the exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure, the cap 17 may include an engagingportion engaged with the main body 13. The engaging portion may beprovided in a variety of shapes. For example, the cap 17 may include aninsertion portion as the engaging portion, which has a diametercorresponding to an inner diameter of the main body 13, and may beinserted into and engaged with an end of the main body 13, and thus, thecap 17 may encapsulate the main body 13. Alternatively, according toanother exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cap 17 mayinclude a cover portion as the engaging portion, which surrounds the endof main body 13, and the end of the main body 13 may be inserted intothe cover portion, thereby encapsulating the both ends of the main body13.

As the cap 17 encapsulates the both ends of the main body 13, the fluidflowing inside the main body 13 may be prevented from leaking to theoutside. The cap 17 may include an elastic material having flexibility.A silicone resin may be used as the elastic material of the cap 17;however, the elastic material should not be limited to the siliconeresin. That is, the cap 17 may be formed of another material as long asthe cap 17 may stably encapsulate the both ends of the main body 13. Forexample, a natural rubber or a synthetic rubber may be used as theelastic material, and other polymer organic elastic materials may beused.

A through hole may be defined through the cap 17, and the light sourcepart 20 may be inserted into the main body 13 through the through hole.In this case, both ends of the light source part 20 may protrude to oneoutside of both caps 17.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the pipe 10 mayform an exterior of the fluid treatment device. However, a separatehousing or additional component may be disposed outside the pipe tocover the pipe 10 according to embodiments, and in this case, thehousing or the additional component may form the exterior.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, theshape of the pipe 10 is described as extending in the one direction.However, the shape of the pipe 10 may be formed differently and may haveanother shape as long as the pipe 10 provides the internal space 19through which the fluid moves and has a configuration in which the fluidis treated.

The light source part 20 may be disposed in the internal space 19 of thepipe 10 and may emit the light. In the exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure, a light source 25 may be disposed in the main body13, i.e., in the internal space 19 of the main body 13 of the pipe 10.

The light emitted from the light source part 20 may have variouswavelength bands. The light emitted from the light source part 20 may bea light in a visible light wavelength band, an infrared light wavelengthband, or other wavelength bands. In the exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the light emitted from the light source part 20 mayhave various wavelength bands depending on a type of fluid and an object(e.g., germs or bacteria) to be treated, and particularly, when thefluid is sterilized, the light may have a sterilization wavelength band.For example, the light source part 20 may emit the light in theultraviolet light wavelength band. In the exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the light source part 20 may emit a light having awavelength band of about 100 nm to about 405 nm, which is a wavelengthband capable of sterilizing microorganisms. In the exemplary embodimentof the present disclosure, the light source part 20 may emit a lighthaving a wavelength band of about 100 nm to about 280 nm, may emit alight having a wavelength band of about 180 nm to about 280 nm inanother exemplary embodiment, and may emit a light having a wavelengthband of about 250 nm to about 260 nm in another exemplary embodiment.Since the ultraviolet light having the wavelength band has a greatbactericidal power, when the ultraviolet light is irradiated at anintensity of 100 μW per 1 cm², bacteria, such as Escherichia coli,diphtheria bacteria, and dysentery bacteria, may be killed up to 99%. Inaddition, the ultraviolet light in the wavelength band may kill bacteriacausing food poisoning, and thus, bacteria, such as pathogenicEscherichia coli causing food poisoning, Staphylococcus aureus,Salmonella Weltevreden, S. typhumurium, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacilluscereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Listeriamonocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Clostridium perfringens,Clostridium botulinum, Campylobacter jejuni, or Enterobacter sakazakii,may be killed.

The light source part 20 may include at least one light source 25emitting the light to emit the above-described light. The light source25 should not be particularly limited as long as the light source 25emits a light in a wavelength band that reacts with a photocatalystmaterial. For example, in the case where the light source part 20 emitsthe light in the ultraviolet light wavelength band, various lightsources 25 emitting the ultraviolet light may be used. A light emittingdiode device may be used as a representative example of the light source25 emitting the ultraviolet light. In a case where the light source part20 emits a light in a wavelength band other than the ultraviolet light,other known light sources 25 may be used.

When a light emitting element is used as the light source 25 of thelight source part 20, the light source 25 may be mounted on a substrate23. The substrate 23 and the at least one light source 25 may form alight source unit 21.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a light source part 20according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the light source part 20 may include the lightsource unit 21 having the substrate 23 and the light source 25 and aprotective pipe 27 protecting the light source unit 21.

The substrate 23 may be provided to extend in a predetermined direction,for example, one direction. The light sources 25, for example, threelight sources 25, may be arranged on the substrate 23 along thepredetermined direction, for example, the one direction.

When the light source unit 21 includes the plural light sources 25, thelight sources 25 may emit lights having substantially the samewavelength band or light having different wavelength bands from eachother. For example, in the exemplary embodiment, all the light sources25 may emit the lights in the same or similar wavelength. In anotherexemplary embodiment, some light sources 25 may emit lights having aportion of the ultraviolet light wavelength band, and the other lightsources 25 may emit lights having the other portion of the ultravioletlight wavelength band.

In the case where the light sources 25 emit the lights having differentwavelength bands, the light sources 25 may be arranged in various ways.For example, a light source emitting a light having a first wavelengthband and a light source emitting a light having a second wavelength banddifferent from the first wavelength band may be alternately arrangedwith each other.

The protective pipe 27 may protect the substrate 23 and the lightsources 25. The protective pipe 27 may include a transparent insulatingmaterial, may protect the light sources 25 and the substrate 23, and maytransmit the lights emitted from the light sources 25. The protectivepipe 27 may be provided in various materials as long as the abovefunctions are satisfied, and the material should not be limited thereto.For example, the protective pipe 27 may include a quartz or a polymerorganic material. The polymer organic material may be selected by takinginto account the wavelengths of the lights emitted from the lightsources 25 since the wavelengths of the lights absorbed or transmittedby the polymer organic material vary depending on a type of monomer, amolding method, and molding conditions. For example, organic polymers,such as poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), polyvinylalcohol (PVA),polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (PE), etc., absorb verylittle ultraviolet light while organic polymers, such as polyester, mayabsorb the ultraviolet light.

The protective pipe 27 may have a long cylindrical shape along theextension direction of the substrate 23 and may be provided in astructure in which one side is opened and the other side is blocked. Abase 29 may be disposed at the open side to withdraw a power wiring 26to the outside. The base 29 may be used as a mounting member that allowsthe light source unit 21 to be stably placed in the protective pipe 27,and the power wiring 26 may be connected to an outer portion of the base29 and may be connected to the substrate 23 to supply a power to thelight sources 25.

In the exemplary embodiment, a photocatalyst layer including aphotocatalytic material may be disposed on an inner circumferentialsurface and/or an outer circumferential surface of the protective pipe27. The photocatalytic material is a material that causes a catalyticreaction by a light irradiated from the light source unit 21 andincludes titanium oxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), tin oxide (SnO2), orthe like.

The photocatalyst may react to lights of various wavelength bandsdepending on the material therefor. In the exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure, materials that cause a photocatalytic reaction tothe light in the ultraviolet light wavelength band among the lights invarious wavelength bands may be used. However, the type of thephotocatalyst should not be limited thereto or thereby, and anotherphotocatalyst having the same or similar mechanism may be used dependingon the light emitted from the light source unit 21. The photocatalystmay be activated by the ultraviolet light to cause a chemical reaction,and thus, the photocatalyst decomposes various pollutants or bacteria inthe air in contact with the photocatalyst through a redox reaction. Theair may be sterilized, purified, and deodorized by using thephotocatalytic reaction. In particular, the sterilization may be abactericidal or antimicrobial activity that destroys enzymes existing inbacteria cells and enzymes acting on a respiratory system, and thus, thegrowth of bacteria and fungi may be prevented and the toxins from thebacteria and fungi may also be broken down.

An area where the photocatalyst layer is disposed should not beparticularly limited as long as the light emitted from the light sourceunit 21 may reach the area, and the photocatalyst layer may be disposedon the entire area or some areas of the inner circumferential surfaceand/or the outer circumferential surface of the protective pipe 27.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the photocatalystlayer may be disposed not only on the inner circumferential surface orthe outer circumferential surface of the light source unit 21 but alsoon other areas to which the light reaches. For example, thephotocatalyst layer may be disposed on the pipe 10, in detail, on theinner circumferential surface of the main body 13 of the pipe 10.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the shape of theprotective pipe 27 should not be limited thereto or thereby and may haveanother shape. For example, the protective pipe 27 may have a shape ofwhich both sides are opened, and in this case, the base 29 may bedisposed at the both sides of the protective pipe 27. When the base 29is disposed at the both sides, the power wiring 26 may be providedthrough at least one base of the bases 29 at both sides to supply thepower to the light sources 25.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the light sourcepart 20 may provide the light in one direction. As shown in figures,when the light sources 25 are disposed on one surface of the substrate23, the light travels mainly in a direction substantially perpendicularto the surface on which the light sources 25 are disposed. However, thedirection in which the light emitted from the light source part 20travels may be changed in various ways.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are sectional views showing light source parts 20according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a light source part 20 may include atleast one substrate 23 and a plurality of light sources 25 mounted onthe substrate 23. The substrate 23 of a light source unit 21 may have avariety of shapes in cross-section to emit a light in variousdirections, e.g., as radially as possible. FIG. 3 shows the substrate 23having the triangular shape in cross-section; however, the shape of thesubstrate 23 should not be limited to the triangular shape. As shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B, the substrate 23 may have a square pillar shape and apentagonal pillar shape. For example, the shape of the substrate 23 maybe provided as a regular n-polygon (n is a natural number of 3 or more).When the substrate 23 is provided as the regular n-polygon shape,uniformity of the light provided radially is the highest. In this case,the light sources 25 may be arranged on side surfaces of a triangularpillar, a square pillar, and a pentagonal pillar, and the light may exitfrom each side surface. As a result, the light may travel in variousdirections rather than one direction.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the substrate 23 may be provided asone substrate 23 having a triangular pillar shape or the square pillarshape, but it should not be limited thereto or thereby. For example, thetriangular pillar-shaped, the square pillar-shaped, or the pentagonalpillar-shaped light source part 20 may be formed by assembling aplurality of light source units 21 having a flat plate shape into thetriangular pillar, the square pillar, the pentagonal pillar, and thelike.

In the above-described embodiments, the light source unit 21 having thestraight line shape, the triangular shape, or the quadrangular shape incross-section is shown. However, the light source unit 21 may have thecircular shape or the polygonal shape according to embodiments. Inaddition, the regular n-polygon shape is described as a representativeexample in the above-described embodiment. However, the light sourceunit 21 may have a linear shape in cross-section by taking into accountthat an orientation angle of the light source 25 may be larger, thefluid may flow in various directions within the pipe 10, and the like.In this case, the light sources 25 may be disposed on both surfaces ofthe substrate.

MODE FOR INVENTION

The fluid treatment device having the above-described structure mayefficiently treat a large amount of the fluid in a short time, whichwill be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a fluid treatment deviceaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG.6 is a longitudinal-sectional view showing a fluid treatment deviceaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For theconvenience of explanation, FIG. 6 shows only the substrate 23, lightsources 25, and the main body 13 of the pipe 10. Here, thecross-sectional view indicates a cross-section substantiallyperpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the pipe 10, and thelongitudinal-sectional view indicates a cross-section taken along thelongitudinal direction of the pipe 10.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the pipe 10 mayhave the cylindrical shape with a predetermined thickness and mayinclude the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferentialsurface. The protective pipe 27 of the light source part 20 may alsohave the cylindrical shape and may include the inner circumferentialsurface and the outer circumferential surface. The cross-sectional viewof the pipe 10 and the protective pipe 27 are provided in the circularshape.

The substrate 23 having the triangular pillar shape and the light source25 may be disposed in the protective pipe 27. The fluid may be filledbetween the outer circumferential surface of the protective pipe 27 andthe inner circumferential surface of the pipe 10 and may move to theoutlet 15 from the inlet 11 along the extension direction of the pipe10.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, centers of thetriangular pillar-shaped substrate 23, the protective pipe 27, and thepipe 10 may be at the same position O when viewed in the cross-sectionalview. When the center of the light source part 20 coincides with thecenter of the pipe 10 on the cross-sectional view, a distance R from thecenter O to the inner circumferential surface is constant at anyposition, a distance from the light sources 25 to the innercircumferential surface of the pipe 10 may also be uniform, and as aresult, the light may be applied relatively uniformly to the fluid.

The fluid may be discharged to the outside after sequentially passingthrough the inlet 11, the main body 13, and the outlet 15. The inlet 11,the main body 13, and the outlet 15 may be sequentially arranged tofacilitate the movement of the fluid. For example, the inlet 11, themain body 13, and the outlet 15 may be sequentially arranged as shown inFIG. 1, and in this case, the inlet 11 may be disposed at one side ofthe main body 13, and the outlet 15 may be disposed at the other side ofthe main body 13. Although the direction of the movement of the fluidpartially varies within the body 13, the fluid generally moves along theextension direction of the pipe 10.

According to the fluid treatment device of the exemplary embodiment ofthe present disclosure, the light source part 20 may include a fluidtreatment area in which the fluid is substantially treated. The fluidtreatment area may be an area in which the light emitted by the lightsource part 20 reaches the fluid sufficiently so that a desiredtreatment is performed on the fluid, and the fluid treatment area mayinclude an area between two light sources 25 adjacent to each other anda portion of an outer area of the light sources 25 disposed at outermostpositions. For example, when m light sources 25 are sequentiallyprovided to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance(for example, when the predetermined distance is recited as “d”), thefluid treatment area may include an area ((m−1)d) between a first lightsource 25 to a last light source 25, an area corresponding to about ¼das the outer area of the first light source 25, and an areacorresponding to about ¼d as the outer area of the last light source 25.However, the outer areas of the first light source 25 and the last lightsource 25 may be set differently depending on an amount of the lightfrom the light source 25.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in thefluid treatment area, the distance between the light sources 25 and thedistance from the light sources 25 to the inner circumferential surfaceof the pipe 10 may correspond to a predetermined range.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the distancebetween two light sources 25 adjacent to each other is referred to as afirst distance D1 and the distance from each light source 25 to theinner circumferential surface of the pipe 10 is referred to as a seconddistance D2 in the longitudinal-sectional view, the first distance D1may be set in consideration of the orientation angle (θ) and the lightamount of each light source 25. For example, the first distance D1 maybe set differently depending on the type of the light source 25 within arange from about 15 mm to about 30 mm.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the larger theorientation angle θ of each light source 25 is, the more efficient thefluid treatment is since the fluid treatment effect at the portionadjacent to the light source 25 and located on the side of the lightsource 25 may be reduced when the orientation angle (θ) is small.Accordingly, it is preferable for each light source 25 to have theorientation angle θ close to about 180 degrees, and in an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure, the orientation angle θ of eachlight source 25 may be about 110 degrees or more. According to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the orientation angle θof each light source 25 may be within a range from about 110 degrees toabout 150 degrees. In the present exemplary embodiment, the orientationangle θ may be an angle at which an amount of the light emitted fromeach light source 25 corresponds to about 50% of a maximum amount of thelight emitted from each light source 25 and may mean an angle obtainedby summing angles of both sides based on a line perpendicular to thecenter of each light source 25.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the firstdistance D1 may be set within a range in which the amount of light at anintermediate point between the two light sources 25 adjacent to eachother has about 70% or more of the amount of light at a vertical pointof each light source 25. According to another exemplary embodiment ofthe present disclosure, the first distance D1 may be set within a rangein which the amount of light at an intermediate point between the twolight sources 25 adjacent to each other has about 80% or more of theamount of light at a vertical point of each light source 25.

For example, when three light sources 25 are provided as shown in FIG.6, a point perpendicular to the light source 25 positioned at a centerof the light sources 25 is referred to as a first point R1, a pointperpendicular to the light source 25 adjacent to one side is referred toas a third point R3, and an intermediate point between the two lightsources 25 is referred to as a second point R2, the first distance D1may be set such that the amount of light at the second point R2 is equalto or greater than about 70% or about 80% of the amount of light at thefirst point R1 and the third point R3. When the first distance D1 doesnot satisfy the above conditions, the treatment effect of the fluid maybe deteriorated when the fluid passes between two adjacent light sources25.

The second distance D2 may vary depending on the first distance D1, anda ratio of the first distance D1 to the second distance D2 may be 1:1.25or less. When the ratio of the first distance D1 to the second distanceD2 is 1.25 or less, a total cumulative amount of the light emitted fromthe light source 25 represents a degree to which the fluid flowing inthe pipe 10 is fully treated.

When the ratio of the first distance D1 to the second distance D2 is1.25 or more, the treatment effect on the fluid close to the innercircumferential surface of the pipe 10 may be significantly reducedsince the distance between the light source part 20 and the innercircumferential surface of the pipe 10 is far.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, theratio of the first distance D1 to the second distance D2 may be from1:0.8 to 1:1.25. When the ratio of the first distance D1 to the seconddistance D2 is smaller than about 0.8, the distance between the lightsource part 20 and the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 10 isshort. Therefore, the amount of the fluid flowing between the lightsource part 20 and the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 10 maydecrease, and it may be difficult to treat a sufficient amount of thefluid depending on situations.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the light source 25 may be providedin a size smaller than that of the substrate 23, but in the drawings ofthe present disclosure, the size is exaggerated for convenience ofdescription. For example, according to FIGS. 5 and 6, a distance from anupper surface of the substrate 23 to the inner circumferential surfaceof the pipe 10 is shown to be longer than the distance from the lightsource 25 to the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 10. However,since a height of the light source 25 is smaller than the height asshown and an actual difference between the distance from an uppersurface of the substrate 23 to the inner circumferential surface of thepipe 10 and the distance from the light source 25 to the innercircumferential surface of the pipe 10 may be very small, it is possibleto assume that the distance from the upper surface of the substrate 23to the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 10 is the distance fromthe light source 25 to the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 10.

When viewed in the cross-sectional view, the pipe 10 may have a minimumradius at a point where a ratio of an amount of light in a normal linedirection of each light source unit 21 to an amount of light on a lineconnecting the center of the regular n-polygon to a vertex of theregular n-polygon becomes about 70% or more. In the exemplary embodimentof the present disclosure, when viewed in the cross-sectional view, thesubstrate 23 may have the triangular pillar shape, and three lightsources 25 may be provided.

As described above, in the fluid treatment device according to theexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the size of the pipe 10is set such that a flow rate does not decrease while maintaining theuniformity of the light emitted from the light source 20, and thus, thefluid in the pipe 10 may be efficiently treated. Particularly, when thelight emitted from the light source part 20 is the ultraviolet lighthaving the sterilization wavelength and the fluid is water, theultraviolet light may be evenly irradiated on the water to effectivelysterilize the water, and a capacity of the sterilized water mayincrease.

The fluid treatment device according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure should not be limited to the above-describedstructure, and the structure of the fluid treatment device may bechanged in various ways as long as the concept of the present disclosureis maintained.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a fluid treatment device according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, for theconvenience of explanation, different features from those of theabove-described embodiments will be mainly described.

Referring to FIG. 7, an inlet 11 and an outlet 15 of the fluid treatmentdevice according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure may be respectively connected to both sides of a main body 13and may be arranged toward the same direction when viewed in across-sectional view. The inlet 11 and the outlet 15 may be connected tothe main body 13 in a direction perpendicular to a direction in whichthe main body 13 extends, and the fluid flowing into the main body 13through the inlet 11 may move along the extension direction of the mainbody 13 and may be discharged through the outlet 15. In this case, themovement direction of the fluid may correspond to a ‘

’-shape, i.e., the shape of a Korean alphabet.

However, the shape of the inlet 11 and the outlet 15 should not belimited thereto or thereby. According to another exemplary embodiment ofthe present disclosure, the inlet 11 and the outlet 15 may be disposedin different directions from each other when viewed in a cross-sectionalview.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a light source 25 may be providedin various numbers by taking into account a length of the main body 13.For example, four or more light source 25 may be provided.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a fluid treatment device according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, a pipe 10 and a light source part 20 of the fluidtreatment device according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure may have different shapes from those of theabove-described embodiments. In particular, the pipe 10 may have a longcylindrical shape along an extension direction and may be provided in astructure in which one side is opened and the other side is blocked. Acap 17 may be disposed at the open side of the pipe 10 to encapsulate amain body 13. A through hole through which the light source part 20 isinserted may be defined through the cap 17, and the light source part 20may be inserted into an internal space 19 of the main body 13 throughthe through hole.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a light source unit 21 of the lightsource part 20 may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the pipe10. In the light source part 20, a protective pipe 27 may be provided ina structure in which one side is open and the other side is blocked, anda base 29 may be disposed at the open side. A power wiring 26 from alight source 25 may be connected to the outside via the base 29.

According to the fluid treatment device of the exemplary embodiment ofthe present disclosure, an arrangement of each component may bepartially changed as long as a ratio of a distance between two lightsources 25 adjacent to each other to a distance between each lightsource 25 and an inner circumferential surface of the pipe 10 facing thelight source 25 may be within the above-mentioned range and the fluidmay be treated.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views showing an arrangement of a lightsource unit 21 and a pipe 10 of fluid treatment devices according toanother exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For theconvenience of explanation, FIGS. 9 and 10 show only a substrate 23 anda light source 25 of the light source unit 21 and a main body 13 of thepipe 10.

Referring to FIG. 9, the light source unit 21 may be disposed outsidethe pipe 10 rather than being disposed in an internal space 19 of thepipe 10. In this case, the pipe 10 may include a transparent materialthrough which a light emitted from the light source unit 21 transmits,and a target substance to be treated may be filled in the pipe 10 andmay move therein. The light emitted from the light source unit 21 may beprovided to the internal space 19 of the pipe 10 and may treat the fluidfilled in the internal space 19 of the pipe 10.

In this case, similar to the above-described embodiments, a ratio of afirst distance D1 between two light sources 25 adjacent to each other toa second distance D2 between each light source 25 and an innercircumferential surface of the pipe 10 may be from 1:0.8 to 1:1.25 whenviewed in a longitudinal-sectional view, and in this case, a largeamount of the fluid in the pipe 10 may be sterilized as efficiently anduniformly as possible.

Referring to FIG. 10, the light source unit may be disposed outside thepipe 10 rather than being disposed in an internal space 19 of the pipe10 similar to FIG. 9. However, in the present exemplary embodiment,different from FIG. 9, the light source unit may be disposed at bothsides (upper and lower portions in FIG. 10) of the pipe 10. In thiscase, the pipe 10 may include a transparent material through which alight emitted from the light source unit transmits, and a targetsubstance to be treated may be filled in the pipe 10 and may movetherein. The light emitted from the light source unit may be provided tothe internal space 19 of the pipe 10 and may treat the fluid filled inthe internal space 19 of the pipe 10.

In the present exemplary embodiment, when the light source unit includesa first light source unit 21 a disposed at a lower side and including afirst substrate 23 a and a first light source 25 a and a second lightsource unit 21 b disposed at an upper side and including a secondsubstrate 23 b and a second light source 25 b, the light source unit maybe disposed on both the upper side and the lower side of the pipe 10,and thus, a sufficient amount of light may reach a center of the pipe10. When viewed in a longitudinal-sectional view, a ratio of a firstdistance D1 between two first light sources 25 a adjacent to each otherin a longitudinal direction to a second distance D2 a between each firstlight source 25 a and the center of the pipe 10 facing the first lightsource 25 a may be 1:0.8 to 1:1.25. In addition, a ratio of a firstdistance D1 between two second light sources 25 b adjacent to each otherin the longitudinal direction to a second distance D2 b between eachsecond light source 25 b and the center of the pipe 10 facing the secondlight source 25 b may be 1:0.8 to 1:1.25. In the present exemplaryembodiment, a third distance D3 may indicate a distance between thefirst light source 25 a and the second light source 25 b, which faceeach other with the pipe 10 interposed therebetween, and may correspondto a sum of the second distance D2 a between each first light source 25a and the center of the pipe 10 facing the first light source 25 a andthe second distance D2 b between each second light source 25 b and thecenter of the pipe 10 facing the second light source 25 b. A diameter ofthe pipe 10 may be determined by taking into account the third distanceD3. That is, a ratio of the first distance D1 between the two adjacentfirst light sources 25 a or between the two adjacent second lightsources 25 b to the third distance D3 may be from 1:1.6 to 1:2.5.

In the present exemplary embodiment, as described above, it is possibleto sterilize a large amount of fluid in the pipe as efficiently anduniformly as possible.

Embodiment

1. Results of Illuminance Measurements in Cross-Section According to anEmission Direction of the Light Source

Table 1 shows results of measuring the illuminance (μW/cm²) according toa light emission direction and a distance when the fluid treatmentdevice according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosureis viewed in cross-section. FIG. 11 shows the light emission directionwhen viewed in cross-section and shows six directions measured in Table1.

The distance in Table 1 corresponds to a distance between each lightsource and the inner circumferential surface of the main body of thepipe in the vertical direction. The illuminance of the light emittedfrom each light source in the vertical direction is indicated by {circlearound (1)}, {circle around (3)}, and {circle around (5)}, and theilluminance of the light traveling between the light source and thelight source is indicated by {circle around (2)}, {circle around (4)},and {circle around (6)}. An optical power meter used in the presentexemplary embodiment is 1918-R from Newport Corporation. The orientationangle of the light source used in the present exemplary embodiment isabout 124 degrees. In Table 1 below, “AVG” denotes an average ofilluminance, and “MIN-MAX” denotes a ratio of maximum to minimum valuesof the illuminance according to each distance. The optical power meterused in the present exemplary embodiment and the orientation angle ofthe light source are the same in the following embodiments, and theterminologies are also used in the same sense in the followingembodiments.

TABLE 1 MIN- Distance {circle around (1)} {circle around (2)} {circlearound (3)} {circle around (4)} {circle around (5)} {circle around (6)}AVG MAX 10 mm 940 540 850 570 870 530 716.7 56% 20 mm 420 315 383 325395 315 358.8 75% 30 mm 280 240 267 247 260 241 255.8 86% 40 mm 218 203205 206 206 200 206.3 92% 50 mm 171 169 164 169 167 165 167.5 96%

As shown in Table 1, when the distance between each light source to theinner circumferential surface of the main body of the pipe was about 10mm, a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of theilluminance was about 56%, and this means that the amount of the lightreaching each position was significantly uneven. When the distancebetween each light source to the inner circumferential surface of themain body of the pipe was about 20 mm, the difference between themaximum value and the minimum value of the illuminance was about 75%,and the amount of the light reaching each position was relatively even.Thus, it is advantageous that the distance from each light source to theinner circumferential surface of the main body of the pipe exceeds about10 mm.

2. Results of Illuminance Measurements in Longitudinal-Section Accordingto an Emission Direction of the Light Source

Table 2 shows results of measuring the illuminance according to adistance on the longitudinal-section when light emission directions aredifferent from each other in the fluid treatment device according to theexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In Table 2, “direction”means the light emission directions {circle around (1)} and {circlearound (2)} shown in FIG. 11. A “distance 1” in Table 2 means a distanceto the outside from the light source disposed in the middle when threelight sources are used and the distance between adjacent light sourcesis about 25 mm. That is, the distance 1 in Table 2, referring to FIG. 6,means a distance in a direction from a first point toward a third pointwhen the first point R1 is set to zero. A “distance 2” is a distanceoutward from each light source.

TABLE 2 Distance 1 0~50 mm 0~30 mm Direction Distance 2 0 mm 10 mm 20 mm30 mm 40 mm 50 mm AVG MIN-MAX MIN-MAX {circle around (1)}  0 mm 940 684854 100 50 3 438.5  0% 11% 10 mm 420 315 398 361 89 22 267.5  5% 75% 20mm 280 267 272 236 109 29 198.8 10% 84% 30 mm 218 207 190 157 92 38150.3 17% 72% 40 mm 171 163 149 122 79 41 120.8 24% 71% {circle around(2)}  0 mm 555 130 462 484 26 1 276.3  0% 27% 10 mm 344 274 342 315 704.5 224.9  1% 80% 20 mm 236 232 229 194 93 26 168.3 11% 84% 30 mm 199198 179 148 85 39 141.3 20% 75% 40 mm 160 158 142 119 78 43 116.7 27%75%

As shown in Table 2, when viewed in longitudinal-section, the fluidtreatment device according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure exhibited an appropriate amount of the light when thedistance 1 was about 0 mm, about 10 mm, about 20 mm, or about 30 mm.Particularly, the ratio of the maximum value to the minimum value ofilluminance at the distance from 0 mm to 30 mm including the area wherethe light source was disposed was much higher than the ratio of themaximum value to the minimum value of illuminance at the distance from 0mm to 50 mm including the area where the light source was not disposed.Since the illuminance was significantly reduced at 40 mm and 50 mmpoints corresponding to the distance 1 where the light source was notprovided, it was observed that from about 0 mm to about 30 mm pointscorrespond to the fluid treatment area. When the distance 2 was morethan 10 mm in the fluid treatment area, the ratio of the maximum valueto the minimum value of illuminance was more than about 75% in both{circle around (1)} direction and {circle around (2)} direction. InTable 2, when the distance 2 was equal to or greater than about 20 mm,the uniformity of the light was high. In the case of the light emittedin the {circle around (1)} direction and the {circle around (2)}direction when viewed in cross-section, the uniformity of the light wasvery low when the distance 2 was about 10 mm. However, when the distance2 was about 20 mm, the uniformity of the light was relatively high.

3. Results of Sterilizing Power by Distance

Table 3 shows the results of measuring the time taken for sterilizationof about 99.9% according to the distance from the light source based onone light source (3 mW, 30 mA).

TABLE 3 Distance from light source Time 30 mm 100 seconds 50 mm 5minutes 100 mm  20 minutes

As shown in Table 3, the sterilizing power was decreased rapidly as thedistance from the light source was increased based on a single lightsource. In a case that the fluid to be sterilized is the flowing water,it is necessary to irradiate uniform light at the same time in thetreatment area in which the flowing water is provided since anirradiation time becomes shorter.

4. Results of Illuminance Measurements According to the Shape of theLight Source Part

Table 4 shows the illuminance when the light source unit of the lightsource part has triangular, square, and pentagonal shapes.

In Table 4, directions 1 and 2 in the triangular shape correspond to thedirections {circle around (1)} and {circle around (2)} described above,and directions 3 and 4 of the square shape indicate a directionperpendicular to the light source and a direction between two adjacentlight sources, similar to the directions 1 and 2, respectively.Directions 5 and 6 of the pentagonal shape indicate the directionperpendicular to the light source and the direction between two adjacentlight sources, similar to the directions 1 and 2, respectively. Thedistance in Table 4 is the distance from each light source to the innercircumferential surface of the main body of the pipe.

TABLE 4 Direction Triangular shape Square shape Pentagonal shapeDistance 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 mm 940 540 934 980 1009 1099 20 mm 420 315 400530 420 544 30 mm 280 240 256 389 289 389 40 mm 218 203 196 299 229 30850 mm 171 169 159 241 184 249

Referring to Table 4, when the light source unit had the triangularshape in cross-section and the distance from each light source to theinner circumferential surface of the main body of the pipe was 10 mm,the uniformity of the light was low. However, in the case of the squareshape and the pentagonal shape, the uniformity of the light was veryhigh even when the distance from each light source to the innercircumferential surface of the main body of the pipe was 10 mm.Accordingly, it was observed that the light uniformity is improved eventhough the distance from each light source to the inner circumferentialsurface of the main body of the pipe is small when four or more lightsources are used in cross-section.

5. Results 1 of Illuminance Measurements According to Interval BetweenLight Sources

Table 5 shows the result of measuring the illuminance according to thedistance on the longitudinal-section. In Table 5, a distance 2 is adistance outward from each light source. A distance 1 means a distanceoutward from the light source disposed in the middle when three lightsources are used and a distance between adjacent light sources is 20 m.A cumulative amount in Table 5 below represents a sum of amounts oflights when the distance 1 is from 0 mm to 40 mm and the cumulativeamount is measured according to the distance 2. A cumulative ratio inTable 5 shows a ratio of the cumulative amount according to the distance2 under the assumption that the cumulative amount of the light is 100%when the distance 2 is 10 mm.

TABLE 5 Distance 1 0~25 mm Cumulative Cumulative distance 2 0 mm 5 mm 10mm 15 mm 20 mm 25 mm 30 mm 35 mm 40 mm MIN-MAX amount ratio 10 mm 810633 218 653 772 655 143 19 13 27% 3884 100%  15 mm 514 445 305 482 494421 178 52 20 59% 2839 73% 20 mm 389 365 320 359 366 321 175 68 35 82%2295 59% 25 mm 317 309 287 299 288 277 157 93 48 87% 1934 50% 30 mm 228224 218 214 228 208 147 82 46 91% 1467 38% 35 mm 198 194 188 184 194 181123 80 51 91% 1262 32% 40 mm 175 174 170 161 170 160 109 74 43 91% 111929%

Referring to Table 5, the illuminance was significantly reduced at apoint of 30 mm or more corresponding to the distance 1 where the lightsource was not provided, and thus, in the present exemplary embodiment,it was observed that an area from about 0 mm to about 25 mm correspondsto the fluid treatment area. In the fluid treatment area, the ratio of amaximum value to a minimum value of the illuminance was about 59% whenthe distance 2 was 15 mm, and the ratio of the maximum value to theminimum value of the illuminance was about 82% when the distance 2 was20 mm. When the distance 2 was 35 mm or more, the ratio of the maximumvalue to the minimum value of the illuminance was about 91%, and theuniformity of the amount of the light according to the area was veryhigh, but the overall amount of the light was decreased.

6. Results 2 of Illuminance Measurements According to Interval BetweenLight Sources

Table 6 shows the result of measuring the illuminance according to thedistance on the longitudinal-section. In Table 6, a distance 2 is adistance outward from each light source. A distance 1 means a distanceoutward from the light source disposed in the middle when three lightsources are used and a distance between adjacent light sources is 25 m.A cumulative amount in Table 6 below represents a sum of amounts oflights when the distance 1 is from 0 mm to 40 mm and the cumulativeamount is measured according to the distance 2. A cumulative ratio inTable 6 shows a ratio of the cumulative amount according to the distance2 under the assumption that the cumulative amount of the light is 100%when the distance 2 is 10 mm.

TABLE 6 Distance1 0~30 mm Accumulative Accumulative Distance2 0 mm 5 mm10 mm 15 mm 20 mm 25 mm 30 mm 35 mm 40 mm MIN-MAX amount ratio 10 mm 775618 134 105 570 763 663 179 27 14% 3576 100%  15 mm 501 420 186 177 380495 455 208 65 35% 2822 79% 20 mm 370 320 290 285 350 339 279 175 33 75%2428 68% 25 mm 284 254 230 240 268 274 252 165 85 81% 1990 56% 30 mm 246233 220 221 229 231 222 158 49 89% 1779 50% 35 mm 195 189 177 177 193190 173 126 79 91% 1420 40% 40 mm 181 177 165 165 171 180 165 110 80 91%1314 37%

Referring to Table 6, the illuminance was significantly reduced at apoint of 35 mm or more corresponding to the distance 1 where the lightsource was not provided, and thus, in the present exemplary embodiment,it was observed that an area from about 0 mm to about 30 mm correspondsto the fluid treatment area. In the fluid treatment area, the ratio of amaximum value to a minimum value of the illuminance was about 35% whenthe distance 2 was 15 mm, and the ratio of the maximum value to theminimum value of the illuminance was about 75% when the distance 2 was20 mm. When the distance 2 was 35 mm or more, the ratio of the maximumvalue to the minimum value of the illuminance was about 91%, and theuniformity of the light amount according to the area was very high, butthe overall amount of the light was decreased.

Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have beendescribed, it is understood that the present disclosure should not belimited to these exemplary embodiments but various changes andmodifications can be made by one ordinary skilled in the art within thespirit and scope of the present disclosure as hereinafter claimed.Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to anysingle embodiment described herein, and the scope of the presentinventive concept shall be determined according to the attached claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A fluid treatment device comprising: a pipecomprising a main body having an inner surface and an outer surface andextending in a longitudinal direction; an inlet and an outlet spacedapart from the inlet in the longitudinal direction, and an internalspace through which a fluid moves; and a light source part disposed inthe internal space of the main body and extending along the longitudinaldirection, the light source part comprising at least one light sourceunit including a substrate and a plurality of light sources disposed onthe substrate and emitting the light, thereby providing the light to thefluid, wherein the plurality of light sources is disposed to be spacedapart along the longitudinal direction such that a ratio of a firstdistance between two light sources adjacent to each other to a seconddistance from each light source to the inner surface of the main body is1:1.25 or less, wherein the second distance varies depending on thefirst distance and the first distance is measured in the longitudinaldirection and the second distance is measured in a direction not inparallel with the longitudinal direction.
 2. The fluid treatment deviceof claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first distance to the seconddistance is 1:0.8 to 1:1.25.
 3. The fluid treatment device of claim 1,wherein the second distance is set from a center of the pipe to a pointon the inner surface of the main body where an amount of light betweenthe two light sources reaching the point is equal to or greater thanabout 70% of an amount of light output from the light source.
 4. Thefluid treatment device of claim 3, wherein the first distance is setwithin a range that an amount of the light reaching an intermediatepoint between vertical points of the two light sources in the normalline direction of each light source, is equal to or greater than about70%, or about 80% of the amount of the light.
 5. The fluid treatmentdevice of claim 3, wherein a cross-section of the light source partincludes shape of a regular n-polygon and each light source unit isdisposed on each side of the regular n-polygon.
 6. The fluid treatmentdevice of claim 5, wherein the cross-section of the light source partincludes a triangular shape.
 7. The fluid treatment device of claim 5,wherein the pipe is configured to have a radius at a point where a ratioof an amount of light in a normal line direction of each light sourceunit to an amount of light on a line connecting a vertex of the regularn-polygon and a center of the regular n-polygon is about 70% or more. 8.The fluid treatment device of claim 5, wherein the radius of the pipe isdetermined such that about 70% or more of light substantially uniformlyreaches the inner surface of the main body and the radius of the pipe is10 mm or greater.
 9. The fluid treatment device of claim 5, wherein thefirst distance is within a range from about 15 mm to about 30 mm. 10.The fluid treatment device of claim 5, wherein the light source unitfurther comprises a transparent protective pipe that houses thesubstrate and the light source.
 11. The fluid treatment device of claim10, wherein the light source unit further comprises a base thatencapsulates both sides of the protective pipe.
 12. The fluid treatmentdevice of claim 5, wherein the light source has an orientation anglefrom about 110 degrees to about 150 degrees.
 13. A fluid treatmentsystem, comprising: a pipe comprising an inlet and an outlet andcomprising an internal space through which a fluid moves, the pipeextending in a longitudinal direction; and a light source part disposedadjacent to the pipe and providing a light to the fluid, the lightsource part comprising first light source units and second light sourceunits, which face each other, with the pipe interposed therebetween,each of the first and the second light source units comprising asubstrate and a plurality of light sources disposed on the substrate,wherein a ratio of a distance between two light sources adjacent to eachother in the longitudinal direction to a distance between two lightsources facing each other in a direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction with the pipe interposed therebetween is 1: 2.5or less.
 14. A fluid treatment system, comprising: a main body havingcylindrical shape extending in a longitudinal direction and having aninner surface, an outer surface, and an internal space through which afluid moves; and a light source part positioned inside or outside of themain body within a predetermined distance that light from the lightsource part reaches the fluid for treatment; wherein the light sourcepart comprises at least one light source unit including: a substrate;and a plurality of light sources disposed on the substrate; andpositioning and configuration of the plurality of light sources and thesubstrate differ based on the positioning of the light source part beinginside of the main body or outside of the main body; wherein theplurality of light sources is disposed to be spaced apart along thelongitudinal direction such that a ratio of a first distance between twolight sources adjacent to each other to a second distance from eachlight source to the inner surface of the main body is 1:1.25 or less;and wherein the second distance varies depending on the first distanceand the first distance is measured in the longitudinal direction and thesecond distance is measured in a direction not in parallel with thelongitudinal direction.
 15. The fluid treatment system of claim 14,wherein the main body further comprises an inlet and an outlet, and theinlet, the outlet, or both are arranged to be inclined to orperpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.
 16. Thefluid treatment system of claim 15, wherein the inlet and the outlet arearranged on the same side of the main body.
 17. The fluid treatmentsystem of claim 14, wherein the fluid is a water.
 18. The fluidtreatment system of claim 14, wherein the light source part emits thelight in an ultraviolet light wavelength band.
 19. The fluid treatmentsystem of claim 18, wherein the light source part emits the light in asterilization wavelength band.
 20. The fluid treatment system of claim14, wherein the main body is a transparent pipe; and the light sourcepart disposed outside of and adjacent to the pipe and providing light tothe fluid that flows the internal space of the pipe; wherein a ratio ofa first distance between two light sources adjacent to each other to asecond distance from each light source to the inner surface of the pipeis 1:1.25 or less.